How to Make Glycerin Soap

How to make glycerin soap. Learning how to make soap using melt and pour soaps is a great place to start if you are new to soapmaking or are looking for a fun project to do with your kids.

How to make glycerin soap for gifts and for healthy skincare.

These "melt and pour" soaps are easy and convenient to use. Best of all, they don't require using lye.

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These soap bases make beautiful soaps that can be given as gifts or sold if you are looking for a home-based business.

Better still, these soaps are excellent and all-natural ways to keep your skin clean.

What Is Glycerin Soap?

Glycerin comes from plant-based oils and is created from fermented goods like wine and beer. A Swedish chemist first learned about glycerin when he heated up a mixture of olive oil. People eventually discovered they could make soap from glycerin by heating up plant oils and allowing them to cool and harden. 

While you can make glycerin at home, it is just as easy to buy glycerin bars and make your own soaps that way. And you'll want to make them because the soaps are so good for your skin.

Glycerine soap soothes Skin Conditions

Regular soap will strip the oils from your skin. Glycerin, on the other hand, helps lock in your skin’s moisture so your skin won’t get overdry. This will especially help people who suffer from skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, or eczema. That’s because if your skin gets dry, it creates tiny cracks that let dirt and bacteria enter past the skin’s barrier and cause further irritation and itching.

Glycerin soap is also not greasy.

It’s Safe for Sensitive Skin

Glycerin soap doesn’t contain chemical-based ingredients, so it’s safe for sensitive skin.  However, if you tend to have oily skin, you might want to give glycerin soap a pass because it can increase the oils in your skin.

Purchasing Your Soap Base

You will need to purchase a glycerin soap base. You can either purchase this from your local hobby shop or buy it online (find it here.)

Melting Your Base

Once you have purchased your glycerin base, the first thing you will have to do to learn how to make glycerin soap is cut your chosen soap base into smaller chunks. Never melt your glycerin soap in a microwave. Glycerin soaps have gentle ingredients that can be damaged in a microwave, and your end bars won't be as likely to produce any lather.

Instead, heat your glycerin soap base in a double boiler. Put a couple of inches of water in the bottom pot of your double boiler and bring it to boiling. Then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the cut-up chunks of glycerin soap base in the top part of the boiler. Stir the chunks frequently it your base has completely melted. Then remove the melted base from the heat, and allow it to cool slightly. Continue stirring as your soap base cools.

How to Make Glycerin Soap
Adding Fragrance

Once your soap base has cooled slightly, add fragrance, or better still, essential oils to your soap base. Stir for a couple of minutes to make sure your oil or fragrance is well blended. You will need either one half to one ounce of fragrance or half an ounce of essential oil for every pound of glycerin soap you make. Then pour your soap into plastic molds. You can find a variety of molds either at your local craft shop or online.

Adding Other Ingredients

You will not need to add preservatives to your glycerin soap unless you plan to add fruit, milk or other ingredients to your soap that might spoil. If you want to add a little color to your soaps, you can purchase cosmetic clays or other natural colorants online or at your local craft store. If you want to add other dry ingredients, such as herbs or oatmeal, add about one tablespoon for every pound of soap base you use.

How to Make Glycerin Soap
Packaging Tips

If you are planning on selling these soaps or giving them away as gifts, you will need to wrap them in paper or other packaging as soon as they are completely cool. This will keep your bars from "sweating." Remove fingerprints from your bars by rubbing them with a bit of alcohol.

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About the Author

My name is Sue Merriam, and I began the journey of self-reliant living more than three decades ago, which enabled me to stay home with my children. Fifteen years ago, I founded Joyful Homesteading to help others save money and face the future without fear. My goal is to give you practical, honest advice so you can save money and experience the joy of simple living. I hope you join me.

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